As authorities, reporters and the rest spend Saturday trying to untangle the horrifying sequence of events on Friday which left 20 children dead in Newtown, Conn., some are amazed by just how much they heard was wrong.
It's truly amazing how much information on this shooting reported as fact has turned out to be wrong. The media filters are all but gone.
— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) December 15, 2012
The #Newtown story is getting MORE confusing as the day goes on. Lot of early reports were just flat-out wrong. Really bad media work.
— Staffpurrson (@Staffpurrson) December 15, 2012
As Twitchy reported yesterday, the alleged shooter was initially misidentified and his Facebook profile photo broadcast — much to the surprise of Ryan Lanza, who was very much alive and nowhere near the scene. Early reports had also identified Adam Lanza’s mother, Nancy, as a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary and suggested that it was her classroom that was targeted.
Police have confirmed via schools superintendent that shooter's mother Nancy Lanza did NOT work at Sandy Hook school
— Ed Pilkington (@Edpilkington) December 15, 2012
Flurry of bad info yesterday: Contrary to early reports, they said, Nancy Lanza was not a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary.
— Brian Sirimaturos (@bigebee) December 15, 2012
CT law enfcmt official: Nancy Lanza had no work connection to the Sandy Hook school
— Savannah Guthrie (@SavannahGuthrie) December 15, 2012
Wow. Media blew that one. RT @SavannahGuthrie CT law enfcmt official: Nancy Lanza had no work connection to the Sandy Hook school
— Ditch Chicken CLT (@ditchchickenclt) December 15, 2012
We are also learning that Lanza was not buzzed in to the school, but rather smashed a window to gain entry.
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ABC News has learned 20-year-old Adam Lanza likely gained entry into Sandy Hook Elementary school by breaking the window near front door.
— Tahman Bradley (@tahmanbradley) December 15, 2012
Also reported was that Adam Lanza’s father was killed, although he was later said to be cooperating with police.
https://twitter.com/kept_simple/status/280054967916720128
With the release of the state medical examiner’s report today, we also learned that all of the child victims were first graders.
https://twitter.com/benhjacobs/status/280055289196208128
@nycsouthpaw Don't forget reports that it was Kindergarteners. Apparently was 1st grade
— Ethan Klapper (@ethanklapper) December 15, 2012
It can be argued that many of the methods used in reporting — such as interviewing children and interrupting prayer services — were “wrong” as well, but the ever-lengthening list of misinformation, brought to us by the same people who “fact-checked” the last presidential campaign, can’t be denied. And much of that misinformation was the inspiration for calls for new legislation and a march on the White House. The lesson? At a minimum, don’t believe everything you hear.
https://twitter.com/jimmiebjr/statuses/280067554259632129
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